Call it a hunch, but I'm guessing George Nelson is not someone new to you. Even if you have just the basic interest in modern design, you probably recognize the bubble lamp, maybe even his platform bench. And then there's the marshmallow sofa, the coconut chair, the clock- all created by other designers but stamped with Nelson’s name. So you get it, he’s an icon, a pivotal player in American modernism. You've heard it all before, and you love his work.

Florence Knoll Bassett (1917-), pioneer of midcentury modernism and unrivaled creative force celebrates her 100th birthday today. There are very few designers with a legacy as remarkable as hers- architectural prodigy, protégé of Eliel Saarinen and Mies, director of the revolutionary “Knoll Planning Unit,” designer of iconic furniture still in production, President of Knoll, and all around innovator who shaped America’s tastes. By defining the modern interior, Knoll changed the face of the design industry and revolutionized the way we live and work.

​Last week, we celebrated Walter Gropius' birthday with his house in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Coincidentally, Marcel Breuer, another Modernist giant who just so happened to be Gropius’ partner and protégé, is also celebrating a birthday this month. The Hungarian-born, AIA Gold Medal winning, iconic twentieth-century architect was born on this day 115 years ago. So here’s a little Marcel for today's MOD Monday.